Grabbing another bottle of wine, he headed out to the stable as the twilight horizon streaked dark red against the deep blue of the coming night. The wind had slowed, though it still carried a bite. Tomorrow he’d send to the village for a couple of hogsheads of ale. Tonight he’d share the castle’s wine. He took the food and wine into the tack room where there were long benches used for cleaning and maintaining the leather reins, harnesses, bridles, and saddles. The amount of tack in the room, all polished and supple, ready for use, surprised him. The smell of good leather pervaded the room.
He called the men to the tack room, and they sat and sipped some wine as they ate the food he’d brought. He particularly watched the old man who couldn’t hear. Ellinbourne said his name was ‘Carlyle.’
“How are you finding things here?” he asked John Norton, the coachman, and Henry, the young groomsman he’d brought from London to ride ahead to secure lodgings and food for them for each stop. He’d been the man sent to deliver the message to the Gallaghers that they were coming.
“Good, my lord,” said Norton. “Sleepin’ quarters are fine ’cept there’s no coal for the little stoves, nor much in the way of wood to burn neither. We’ll likely be sleepin’ 'neath horse blankets this night with that nip in the air.”
“Wouldn’t know it’s late June by the weather all over England this year,” Lakehurst said.
“Aye, and that’s a fact,” nodded the coachman.
“Tomorrow, I’ll see if I can find some coal.”
“Carlyle here says there’s plenty at the castle,” waving his hand at the old stable hand, “but the caretakers don’t let him have any.”
Lakehurst looked over at the man. “You’ll get coal,” he said as he looked at him and noticed how threadbare his clothes were. His vest looked like it had been hand-stitched from an old horse blanket.
“Thank you, my lord,” the man responded.
Lakehurst frowned. “I thought you can’t hear.”
“Cain’t.” He tapped his lips. “I ken read lips purty well if’n the person be lookin’ at me and they don’t talk too fast.”
“Excellent! We’ll talk more tomorrow. Can you show us where the coal is kept?”
“Aye, but the Gallaghers, theys keep the door locked.”
“Gather some buckets,” he told the men, “and go with Carlyle to where the coal is kept. I’ll get the key from Mr. Gallagher.”
“Thank you, my lord, thank you,” the old man said, bowing profusely.
Lakehurst found Mr. Gallagher talking with Cassie in the front hall. “The key to the coal cellar, please,” he said, his hand out.
“Coal cellar? Why do you need the key to that? I just brought coal up to all the bedchambers.”
“It is not for you to question me,” Lakehurst said, staring down at Mr. Gallagher.
The man took a slight step backward.
“The key!” Lakehurst demanded.
“Yes, Mr. Gallagher, give Lord Lakehurst the key,” Cassie said.
Gallagher scowled at her, then struggled to remove the single key from his chain.
“Just give me the lot,” Lakehurst said impatiently.
Reluctantly, Gallagher handed them to Lakehurst.
Lakehurst tossed the keys up in the air, caught them, then turned to go.
Gallagher turned to follow him.
Lakehurst glared at him. “I don’t need you right now. Continue your discussion with Lady Darkford. It sounded like she had other tasks for you this evening.”
“But—” Mr. Gallagher started to protest.
Lakehurst ignored him and went out, decisively closing the door behind him.
